Qualifications In Media

Taking Deejay's entirely valid point that you don't have to have a media qualification to work in the media, I'll throw in the flip side that having such a qualification can be useful in jobs which are not really related.

My job is nothing to do with the media, but I've ended up producing an in-house magazine, producing podcasts and making videos of events. Yes, these are things which anybody can do with the software and technology which is commonplace nowadays, but having been on the courses and knowing the grammar and conventions I'm able to create a much more professional looking finished product than might otherwise be possible.

I start a BA in Media Production in September having previously done Media Studies (well about to finish at least) at A level.

Got an A* at GCSE Media and was predicted A at AS level but had to drop out. Was thinking of doing a Media Production National Diploma but the course content seems a bit basic. Not that i don't support education at all, but I don't think getting a media job depends on qualifications like being a doctor, rather experience in the field.

Shurely for Journalism the best qualification is an NCTJ one - ya know, one that is recognised?

I am but a first-year GCSE student, and I didn't have the opportunity to take Media, but I have always wanted to go into the field of media/journalism - and in all of the letters with Journos I have had - I have been discouraged from going the Media Studies route.

I believe the NCTJ do qualifications in Journalism in two tiers, a sort of basic one, which will get you into a trainee reporter job, and you train for the more advanced level that will enable you to go to senior posts while you work.

I myself want to do English and Maths at A-level because there are no specifics to which A-levels you should take - as long as you have 5 GCSEs A*-C (with a B or above in English) and 2 A-levels, you are in good stead to take the course.

I am going to do my College stuff, get to Uni and do a Journalism degree then an NCTJ one, to cap it off.

Good luck! I did mine last year and got an A*, the best subject I've ever done in my life.

Just to the NCTJ one straight after college - there's no point in doing an unaccredited course first as you won't gain anything from it.

I recommend you go to a university that’s accredited by the NCTJ. If you do, you’ll be able to take your NCTJ exams there. I’ve got the NCTJ media law exams coming up. I’m dreading them!

That's an idea! Which Universities are accredited by the NCTJ?

There's a list of all the universities accredited by the NCTJhere.

The courses listed there all seem to for print media rather than broadcast journalism.

There's a list of universities accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council here.

I got an A in Media GCSE 2 years ago, though my god was that exam easy. They gave us the paper about a week before the actual exam so we could 'plan' our answers then when it came to it we had to produce a front page to a comic magazine with a "healthy" feel to it. We got marks for colouring in. COLOURING IN! We then had to produce a comic strip and we'd get marks in this as well for colouring in. COLOURING IN! The other two questions were proper essays (the only thing I remember about them was that I mentioned online teaser sites like Lost: The Untold). Honestly the exam felt like a complete insult to my intelligence. Apparently AQA have changed how they do this exam now. At least AS Media has been far more stimulating, as has the AS Film Studies course I'm also taking.